Between screening zombie movies with an audience of zombies, hosting a spooky live radio drama and a Harry Houdini seance — when it's this time of year, Psychic Joker Entertainment is all about Halloween.

The group dedicated to exposing audiences to unexplored kinds of entertainment is going all-out this year. It's hosting 10 Halloween events — several scheduled between now and Monday.

Its organizers, Lisa and Jason Cerezo and Jace Hoppes, love the holiday. They point out its direct link with magic, as Harry Houdini died Oct. 31, 1926.

"And there's been a link between magic and spiritualism for centuries," Lisa Cerezo said. "It's like nobody knows what's real and what isn't, but they're OK with that. People like to be scared on Halloween, and they like to allow themselves to be fooled. They let their guard down, and it's OK to play with them a little more."

She said Psychic Joker's events started with a desire to host an authentic Houdini seance and branched out from there, especially because it's now working with SoDo Theatre in downtown Champaign.

"Some of the events are things we like to do anyway, like the B-movie marathon," she said. "And some events just naturally fit with our mission to bring more magic to the community scene, like the magic showcase and the mentalism show. The radio drama was something I had tried recently with a kids' theater class and had a lot of fun with it, and I just happened to stumble onto a great series of radio dramas I could actually license and perform live on stage."

They hosted a ghost tea party last week, inspired by an old nightclub at Disney World, The Adventurers' Club, "where part of the atmosphere was this really eclectic cast of characters who would just walk right up to you while you're having a drink and start talking with you about these safaris they'd been on," she said. "That was a really fun experience, kind of like interactive improv, and I really loved it."

Lisa Cerezo said people have told her they're excited about the number of Halloween events.

"And I've gotten a lot of really positive response from the radio drama in particular, from a wide variety of people," she said. "The best part for me, though, is that the magicians who got together to take part in our opening event — our magic showcase — were really excited to be a part of that. I love that because that's the real point behind Psychic Joker. We want to be there for local entertainers and help get them a bigger audience."

She's most excited about the radio drama and the seance. Her great-grandfather was a musician for a live radio show, and she wants to look into producing more radio dramas in the future, she said.

"The Houdini seance is something really special, something that's done every year all over the world as a Halloween tradition, ever since Houdini's death," she said. "It was also the idea that sparked our entire weeklong series. And as nerve-wracking as it is, it's something you can't entirely plan out. I honestly don't know what will happen that night. And that's half the fun."

Here are Psychic Joker's upcoming Halloween events. They're all at the SoDo Theatre, 114 S. Neil St., C. Doors open each night at 10 p.m.; shows begin at 10:30.

Friday, mentalist Stefan Alexxis will explore intuition and mind-reading in a laughter-filled show. Admission is $5.

Saturday, Psychic Joker is hosting "The Halloween Trilogy" radio drama. It's a performance in the spirit of Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" but with an eerie twist. It's a live staged retelling of creepy tales by Rudyard Kipling, Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe. Admission is $5.

Sunday, the group will screen "Night of the Living Dead" and host a zombie party. Admission is $5, or $2 if you come dressed as a zombie.

Monday, it will host a Houdini Seance, a traditional Halloween exercise to try to reach the spirit of Harry Houdini. Admission is $20 and seating is limited.

Friday, Oct. 28

The Wesley Haunted House, 1203 W. Green St., U, will be open 7-11 p.m. through Saturday. Cost is $7, and proceeds will go to the Wesley Evening Food Pantry.

Two events this weekend will raise money for the Orpheum Children's Science Museum and the Developmental Service Center's Prompting Theater.

The family friendly Mystery at the Museum event will take place at the Orpheum Children's Science Museum, 346 N. Neil St., C. It's scheduled for 3-8 p.m. Friday through Sunday and 2-6 p.m. Monday.

Visitors can join guides on an interactive journey, where myths surrounding monsters and other scary Halloween lore will be served up and busted.

Children will be able to participate in hands-on activities outside the theater, including decorating their own pumpkins and even making their own hair gel eyeball or a fun-colored oobleck.

A haystack maze will be created in the courtyard along with a haunted playhouse on display for photo opportunities. Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes. Hot drinks and snacks will be provided.

The highlight of the event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, with a costume parade and a costume contest.

Participants can then go trick-or-treating around the museum. This event is suitable for all children between the ages of 3 to 13. The event is hosted in conjunction with the Mystery at SoDo Theatre, 114 S. Neil St., C.

Its theme is terror in an insane haunted house, and it's intended for a more mature audience.

Staged by the DSC Prompting Theater, it will be open from 7 p.m. to midnight, Friday through Monday.

Tickets are $10 per person or $15 for a Mystery Pass to access both events.

For information on additional activities, visit the museum's website at orpheumkids.com or call 352-5895.

A Halloween dance is scheduled at Danville's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 728, 8 Pine St. GTO and the Glasspaks will play oldies from 8 to 11 p.m., and prizes will be awarded for the best costume.

Table reservations will be accepted.

Dinner will be served 4-7:30 p.m. and will feature made-from-scratch chicken and noodles or beef with mash potatoes, vegetables and desserts. Dinner and the dance is $10; the dance alone is $6.

Halloween Funfest is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. at Market Place Mall, Champaign.

The Champaign and Urbana park districts invite you to join in a free event for little ghosts and goblins. Dress up in your favorite costume and enjoy the Halloween games and activities. And bring a bag to collect Halloween goodies. There's even a haunted house, so be in line by 8 p.m. to go through.

The free event is for kids ages 2-11 with a guardian.

The Daily Grind Coffeehouse, 703 Eastwood Center, Suite F, Mahomet, will thrill you with hot drinks and chills when it hosts storyteller Camille Born.

Born will tell spooky stories for families at 6:30 p.m. and for those 12 and older at 7:30. Specialty seasonal drinks and Halloween treats will be available for purchase.

Dr. Christopher Jordan's office is hosting its fifth annual Halloween bash from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Jordan's office, 2920 Crossing Court, C.

It's open to all community members and will appeal to those ages 5-13. The party will feature games, prizes and food.

For a safe, exciting Halloween, the Champaign County YMCA is again offering an evening for little goblins and their families to enjoy in safe, caring environment.

It's scheduled for 6-8 p.m. at the Fitness and Family Center, 707 N. Country Fair Drive, C. The Y will be decorated and well-supervised and is open to people of all ages. This year's activities will include games, face-painting, fun houses, a gymnastics obstacle course and other fun activities for children and adults.

The Pirate's Den Haunted House at Saybrook's community center features 23 rooms, and the outside has been transformed into a pirate ship.

It will be open 7-11:30 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, 7-10 p.m. Sunday and 7-9 p.m. Monday. Admission is $8 for adults; children 10 and younger get in for $6.

Saturday, Oct. 29

"Stories from the Other Side," a ghost-story concert featuring adult themes and heightened fear factors, is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, U.

It's for those ages 16 and older and features storytellers Dan Keding, Kathe Brinkmann and Kim Sheahan — as well as some from the University of Illinois faculty, staff and students.

Admission is $5; all admission fees will support the museum's educational programs.

"Gruesome, Gory, and Ghastly Ghosts and Ghouls" is a family friendly event scheduled for 2-3:30 p.m. at the Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, U.

It will feature multicultural ghost stories told in the museum's galleries. Storytellers will include Keding, Brinkmann, Sheahan and UI faculty, staff and students.

The stories will be most appropriate for children in grades K-6. The children will leave with bags of candy. Suggested donation is $5 and will support the museum's educational programs.

Sunday, Oct. 30

The Champaign Park District is hosting Howl'oween at the Bark District at 2 p.m.Dogs and owners can sign up for the costume contest and doggie parade which will be held in the large dog section of the dog park.

Registration is scheduled for 1-1:50 p.m., the parade starts at 2 and costume judging is at 2:30. All canine entrants must be members of the Champaign or Urbana dog parks prior to Oct. 30. No membership registrations will be available on the day of the event. The entry fee is $2 per dog and spectators are free.

The dog park is on the south side of Windsor Road between Rising and Staley roads.

"Spooky Visions," a concert by the Parkland Wind Ensemble, Parkland Chorus and Parkland Chamber Singers, is set for 4 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1203 W. Green St., U. The concert is free and open to the public.

It will feature music relating to All Saints Day and selections from "Phantom of the Opera" and "Sister Act," among others.

First Presbyterian Church of Champaign is hosting its annual Trunk or Treat from 5-6 p.m. at Barkstall Elementary School, 2201 Hallbeck Drive, C. It's free and will feature carnival games, candy and refreshments.

Please: No scary costumes, as it's intended for small children and families.

Monday, Oct. 31

A Halloween Extravaganza on North First Street is set for 3-5 p.m. at the Prosperity Garden, north of the Champaign Police Department. It's hosted by the North First Street Association.

It will feature family friendly activities, treat bags from the Champaign Police Department and free legal tips and treats from costumed lawyers of the Champaign County Bar Association.

The Champaign Public Library is offering spooky storytelling from 3 to 4 p.m., and the extravaganza will also include Halloween arts and crafts, games and face painting. It is a free event.

The fifth annual Pumpkin Pop-In is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 701 E. Florida Ave., U.

Stop by in your costume, play a game, and pick up a treat. For details, visit http://www.trinity-urbana.org or call 367-8923.

The CommUnity Matters Collaboration is hosting trick-or-treating alternatives from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Champaign Park District's Douglass Community Center, 512 E. Grove St., C, and from 5-7 p.m. at Garden Hills Elementary, 2001 Garden Hills, C.

These alternatives will include structured activities and treats for kids of all ages.

Tuesday, Nov. 1

Show off your homemade costume, made of recyclable materials, at 6 p.m. at the ARC Winter Garden, 201 E. Peabody Drive, C.

You need to be able to wear your costume and you can put it together with new items like glue, laces, scissors and tape. Individuals and teams are welcome, but a team can only have five people maximum.

Costumes need to include a small sign about what materials were used and information about recycling and wastes. Costumes will be judged by creativity and quantity of reused versus new materials.

Monday is the deadline to register; you can do so at http://sustainability.illinois.edu/recyclablescostume.html.